Leading
Leading adjective - Coming before all others in importance.
Preliminary and leading are semantically related. In some cases you can use "Preliminary" instead an adjective "Leading".
Preliminary
Preliminary adjective - Coming before the main part or item usually to introduce or prepare for what follows.
Leading and preliminary are semantically related. Sometimes you can use "Leading" instead an adjective "Preliminary".
Cite this Source
Preliminary and Leading. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 02, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/leading/preliminary
Leading & Preliminary. N.p., 2016. Web. 02 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/leading/preliminary>.
Preliminary or Leading. 2016. Accessed August 02, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/leading/preliminary.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "leading" and "preliminary" have occurred on timeline